1. Field of the Present Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of microprocessor based computers and more specifically to improving the reliability, flexibility, and power consumption in network computers and other limited resource computers.
2. History of Related Art
The increasing number of computing applications for which a local area network provides a desirable solution has focused increased attention on maximizing network value by carefully controlling the implementation of resources on each computer in the network. In the past, local area networks were frequently designed by interconnecting two or more personal computers, possibly in combination with a large capacity, centralized server machine. The wide spread availability and acceptance of disk based operating system software that eliminated much of the design overhead associated with implementing a local area network greatly contributed to the proliferation of networks comprised of a two or more essentially stand alone machines. Despite the ease with which such networks can be implemented, these networks are not designed to maximize value to the end user because these networks fail to distribute resources in an optimal fashion. More specifically, networks comprised simply of a collection of stand alone machines unnecessarily duplicate resources that can be offered via the network and centralized in one or more network servers. Attempts to address this concern by simply stripping resources from each network computer have resulted in network machines that lack desirable flexibility and features. Examples of such attempts include modifications or simplifications to the power supply of stand alone machines and the elimination of local permanent storage such as disk based devices. Unfortunately, the drawbacks resulting from such attempts to reduce the cost and eliminate unnecessary repetitiveness from network computers overwhelms the advantages achieved. The simplification of a conventional power supply, for example, has typically resulted in a computer incapable of implementing a conventional low power mode while elimination of disk based media from machines severely limits the software applications available to operate on such machines. Accordingly, it is desirable to introduce various improvements and features into computers, designed specifically for use in a network environment to achieve a machine that reduces cost and eliminates unnecessary redundancy in network resources without suffering a noticeable decrease in reliability, flexibility, and performance.